Sd.Kfz. 251
The Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251 (known as Sd.Kfz. 251 in Flames of War) was a German half-track in WW2. Overview The Sd. Kfz. 251 comes in five variants: * the basic transport variant is available throughout the war as a transport attachment for mechanized infantry (Armoured Panzergrenadier Company) or as a gun-towing tractor; * while the specialist variants appear in Mid-War book Ghost Panzers and Late-War army lists as support vehicles. Those are Sd. Kfz. 251/2 mortar half-track, Sd.Kfz. 251/9 assault gun half-track, Sd.Kfz. 251/16 flame-thrower half-track and the shortened Sd.Kfz. 250 reconnaissance half-track. In Flames of War Model Kits *GBX 85 Sd Kfz 251 Transport Platoon (Plastic) *GEAB18 German Panzer Kampfgruppe (Plastic) Model Assembly The models currently available in the market are made of plastic. They can be built using either a poly cement or a cyanoacrylate glue ("the Super Glue"). Sd.Kfz. 251/1 * Begin assembly by attaching the deck of the fighting compartment the lower hull section. * Next, attach the rear doors to the back of the hull. * Attach the driver figure to left-hand seat of the half-track. The driver figure can be found on the crew sprue included in the box set. It is advised to paint the driver figurine before attaching, as well as the compartment of the half-track. * With the driver in place, it's time to attach the upper superstructure to the lower hull. It will also be a good idea if the superstructure's interior part is painted before assembly. * Next, attach the tracks to the lower hull section. Each track has been keyed to correspond with a particular side of the lower hull; this aids in ensuring the correct orientation of the tracks when assembling the miniature. * Next, attach the front axle to the front of the half-track and the front wheels to the front axle. There are a number of different weapons that can fitted to the Sd Kfz 251/1 half-track. The sprue contains both machine gun options and the 3.7 cm anti-tank gun. The basic half-track * Attach the gun shield for the Hull MG to the top of the half-track. * Attach the machine-gun to the gun shield. You can choose between the MG34 and MG42, or a figurine firing an MG42. * Next, attach the Passenger-fired AA MG to the rear of the half-track. The 3.7 cm gun half-track The Sd Kfz 251/1 half-track in the HQ Section (platoon and company command) can be upgraded to an Sd Kfz 251/10 (3.7cm) with the addition of a 3.7cm PaK36 anti-tank gun. * To do so, begin by attaching the gun shield to the side of the 3.7cm PaK36. * Next, replace the Hull MG with the 3.7cm PaK36 to create the Sd Kfz 251/10 (3.7cm). Adding Crew to the half-tracks There are four different crew figures included on the Half-track crew sprue: * a commissioned officer in a round visor cap; * a machine-gunner in a Stahlhelm firing an MG42 machine gun; * the driver (the smallest figurine without legs) * two seated passengers. The half-track model does not have enough space to contain all the figurines, though three or four (including the driver) can be fit in a convincing way. The officer figurine is the suggested choice for the command section vehicles, while the MG gunner and the seated passengers will fit any standard half-track. It is advised to paint the figurines before cutting them from the sprues and gluing to the half-track, as painting them assembled is basically an exercise in frustration. Image Gallery GBX85.jpg GBX85a.jpg GBX76d.jpg GBX76k.jpg|The half-track crew sprue. GBX76h.jpg|The decal sheet included for the platoon deal. GBX76l.jpg GBX76c.jpg Category:German Category:Vehicles Category:Early-war Category:Mid-war Category:Late-war Category:Axis Category:Half-Tracks Category:Formations Category:Tank Teams